Automatic alarm for dictating-machines.



S. C. NOTT. AUTOMATIC ALARM FOR DICTATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 4,1915.

Patented. Nov. 28, 1916.

4 SH EETSSHEET I.

S. C. NOTT.

AUTOMATIC ALARM FOR DICTATING MACHINES. I

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1915.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov. '28, 1916.

S. C. NOTT.

AUTOMAHC ALARM FOR DICTATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. I915.

Patented; Nov. 28, 1916.

SYDNEY NOTT, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ALARM FOR DICTATING-MACI-IINES.

Specification 0 Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. as, rare.

Application filed December 4, 1915. Serial No. 64,988.

nois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in AutomaticAlarms for Dictatingt fachines, and declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

Dictating machines, that is machines for recording dictation on acylinder of wax or other material for subsequent transcription, are soarranged that the user may stop his dictation and, going back, reproducefor himself any portion of the matter already dictated. It often happensthat the operators attention is distracted from the machine so that hismanipulation thereof is purely mechanical and he therefore begins todictate-when the machine is not set properly. Thus it may happen thatafter a manipulation of the machine by which previously dictated matterwas repeated, the operator forgets to shift the machine from areproducing position to a dictating position and finds, after havingdictated into the machine, that no record has been made. Again,intending to have repeated to him matter previously dictated, theoperator, after moving thecarriage back, sets the machine in thedictating position instead of the reproducing position. The result is ofcourse that the record previously made is obliterated or damaged. It isalso evident that if the machine is set in the reproducing positionwhile the operator is dictating or is set in the dictating positionwhile the operator is attempting to reproduce, much of the value of adictating machine may be lost because it Wastes the time of theoperator, trieshis patience, and breaks up his train of thought byleaving out something or obliterating something which he may perhaps notlater be able to recall in just the way that he dictated it.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for overcomingthe aforesaid faults of dictating machines arising from wrong operationthereof.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterizedwill hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but,for a full understanding of my invention and of its object andadvantages, reference may be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

. Figure 1 is a top plan view of the upper part of a dictatingmachinearranged in accordance with my invention, the parts being.

illustrated. in a dictating position under conditions improper for therecording of dictation; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown inFig; 1' in normal dictating position; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the upperpart of the machine, with the parts in the same positions as in Fig. 2;Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on line X-X of Fig. 2, the partsbeing in the same positions as in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. i with the controlling lever in the neutral position; Fig. 6 is aView similar to Figs. 4 and 5, the controlling lever being in thereproducing position; Fig. 7 is a View similar to Figs. A to 6, theparts being in the positions indicated in Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is an end View,looking toward the right at the left hand end of Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is asection taken approximately on line YY of Fig. 8, the parts being in thepositions occupied when the machine is properly set for dictation; Fig.10 is a View similar to Fig. 9, the parts being in the positions whichthey occupy under the conditions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7, and alsowhen the controlling lever is in the neutral position; and Fig. 11 is aview similar to Figs. 9 and 10, the parts occupying the positions whichthey assume when the carriage, in the reproducingposition, reaches theend of the dictation.

T have illustrated my invention as embodied in a mechanism whichproduces an alarm although it will of course be understood that theultimate function of the mechanism is to prevent wrong operation of themachine regardless of whether this is done by sounding an alarm orotherwise, and I have illustrated my mechanism as adapted for andapplied to that type of machine known as the Dictaphone although it willof course be understood that my invention is not confined to anyparticular type of dictating machine. I have confined the illustrationof my invention to a single embodiment for the sake of brevity andclearness and, for the same reason, I shall confine the detaileddescription to this single embodiment.

Referring to the' drawings, 1 represents the carriage of the machine,movable along a stationary tubular support or shaft, 2, within which isarranged a suitable driving worm or shaft, 3, for the carriage. On thecarriage is a lever, 4, having the three posi tions indicated in Figs.4, 5 and 6: the first being the dictating position; the second being theneutral position in which the carriage is left free to be moved back andforth along its support; and the third being the reproducing position.By means of the lever the machine is adjusted into the three positionsnecessary in all machines of. this general type and it is my purpose toutilize these three positions in conjunction with a position of thecarriage along its support, to control the means by which improperoperation of the machine is prevented. Machines of this general type aredisclosed in Patents 527,755 of October 16, 1894, 569,290 of October 13,1896 and 874,973 of December 31, 1907.

In the arrangement illustrated I have provided at the back of themachine a rod, 5, mounted in suitable stationary bearings, 6 and 7, soas to lie parallel with the shaft 3 and be rotatable and at the sametime movable lengthwise relatively to the stationary parts of themachine. A spring, 8, acting both as a compression spring and as atorsion spring, tends to hold the rod, 5, at one limit of itslongitudinal movement and at one limit of its angular movement. Fixed tothe rod, 5, is a blade or vane, 9, extending upwardly, and of a lengthat least equal to the distance through which the carriage may travel. Onthe upper edge of the member 9 are teeth, 10, preferably ratchet teeth.On the lever, 4, is a laterally projecting arm, 11, provided at the rearedge with a cam, 12. The parts are so proportioned that when the leveris in the reproducing position the cam, 12, presses the blade or vane,9, outwardly against the tension of the spring, while in its other twopositions it permits the blade or vane to be swung inwardly. On theguide, 2, in advance of the carriage, is a collar, 13, slidable androtatable on the guide. The collar is provided witha cam,

14, which, in one angular position of the collar, bears againstthe bladeor vane, 9, and presses it outwardly in the same way that this is doneby the cam on the lever when the latter is in its reproducing position.The collar is also provided with a tooth or pawl, 15, above the cam, 14,and in position to drop down into engagement with the teeth 10 in asecond angular position of the collar. Suitable means are provided whichtend yieldingly to hold the collar in such angular position that thetooth, 15, engages with the teeth on the vane or blade. In thearrangement illustrated, this means consists of a leaf spring, 16,secured at one end to the periphery of the collar and extending upwardlypast the scale bar, 17, at the front of the machine; the spring, 16,being initially under such tension that in tending to straighten itselfit turns the collar in the clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 4 to7, throwing the cam, 14, down out of engagement with the blade or vaneand bringing the tooth, 15, into engagement with the teeth 10. At thetop of the collar is a radially projecting pin, 18. On the arm, 11,which is carried by the controlling lever, is a finger, 19, which, undercertain conditions, is adapted to be thrust behind the pin 18 and, uponoperation of the lever 4, turn the collar against the tension of thespring 16 so as to lift the tooth, 15, clear of the ratchet teeth. Theparts are so proportioned that when the collar and the carriage arebrought together while the lever is in either the neutral or thereproducing position, the finger, 19, moves into operative relation tothe pin 18 so that upon swinging the lever 4 to the dictating positionthe collar is turned in the direction to carry the teeth or pawl, 15,

away from and bring the cam, 14, into engagement with the vane or blade.It will thus be seen that when the collar lies beside the carriage withthe pin, 18, in front of the finger, 19, and the lever, 4, in thedictating position, the vane or blade is swung back to the rearwardlimit of its movement as shown in Fig. 4. A similar situation isproduced whenever the lever, 4, is in its reproducing position asindicated in Fig. 6. On the other hand, whenever the lever 4 is in itsneutral position as shown in Fig. 5, regardless of whether or not thecollar and the carriage are in proximity to each other, and whenever thelever 4 is in the dictating position without having the carriage and thecollar lying close together, with the finger, 19, behind the pin 18, asindicated in Fig. 7, the blade or "ane lies at the forward limit of itsturning movement. Furthermore, when the lever 4 is in the reproducingposition as shown in Fig. 6, as when the operator has set the carriageback to repeat what he has previously dictated, and the machine is run1,2oeaea m until the carriage reaches the end of the dictated matter,the carriage strikes the collar and moves it along the guide or supportand, through the engagement of the tooth, 15, with the vane or blade,causes the vane or blade to be shifted in the direction of its length.In other words, Whenever the ma chine is set for a normal operation andis operating normally, the blade or vane is back in what may be calledits normal position while at other times, when the machine is improperlyset for normal operation or is being wrongly operated, the vane 1s inwhat may be termed an abnormal position; it being understood that fornormal opera tion the collar is placed just beside the carriage when thecarriage is at the starting point, the finger, 19, being behind the pin18 so that when the lever is moved to the dictating position it rotatesthe collar against the tension of its spring, and the collar beingsimply forced along the guide ahead of the carriage as the dictationproceeds and remaining at whatever point it may be when the carriage istemporarily shifted back for the purpose of repeating matter previouslydictated. I therefore em ploy the blade or vane as a controller for asuitable alarm signal or other means for preventing improper operation.

In the arrangement illustrated, I have mounted on the end of the frame,20, of the machine a U-shaped dog, 21, hinged at one end as at 22 so asto be capable of swinging about an axis at right angles to the rod, 5.On the free end of the dog is a pin, 23. The pin, 23. is adapted toswing into and out of an opening, 24, in a face plate, 25, forming withother parts of the frame a housing for the gear train, 26, between theshaft on which the record cylinder .is mounted and the screw shaft, 3,by means of which the carriage is driven. One member of the gear train,26, is provided with one or more openings, 27, adapted, as the trainoperates, to pass in front of the opening 24, in the face plate. Thewalls of the opening or openings, 27, Or the end of tlTe pin, 23, orboth, may be beveled so that when the dog hangs in a position in whichthe pin projects through the hole, 24, and the machine is operated, thedog is oscillated, the end or shoulder at the base of the pin strikingagainst the face plate whenever the holes 27 or one of them comesopposite the hole 24 and thus producing a series of clicking soundswhile the machine continues to operate. The end of the rod, 5, iscontinued beyond the end of the machine at which the dog is located, andit is there provided with a projecting arm, 28, which projects forwardlybetween the arms of the dog.

When the vane or blade is in its normal position, as heretoforeexplained, the arm,

28, is in the position indicated in Fig. 9, the upper member of the dogresting upon the arm and the dog being held in an idle position; thisposition indicating normal operating conditions. When the vane or bladeis allowed to assume the first of its abnormal positions, indicating anabnormal operating condition, the arm, 28, assumes the positionillustrated inFig. 10, allowing the dog to swing down with the pin, 23,projecting through the opening, 24. If now the machine is set inoperation the clicking signal will be given. If the controlling vane orblade is shifted to its second abnormal position, by being shiftedlengthwise against the tension of its spring, the parts assume thepositions indicated in Fig. 11; the dog being allowed to drop into asignaling position by a lateral instead of a rotary movement of the arm.

The conditions indicated in Fig. 10 are brought about, as heretoforeexplained, and therefore the alarm will be sounded: when it is attemptedto operate the machine with the lever in its neutral position; when theoperator happens to place the lever in the dictating position with thecarriage shifted back from the point of farthest advance; and when theoperator starts at the beginning of a new cylinder without bringing thecollar or marker for the point of farthest advance of the carriage backto the starting point. The conditions indicated in Fig. 11 are broughtabout and therefore the alarm -will be sounded if the operator, aftersetting the carriage back to reproduce previously dictated matter, failsto shift the controlling lever into the dictating position when hereaches the point where the previous dictation stopped. and attempts tocontinue his dictation under conditions which would fail to leave arecord on the cylinder.

It will thus be seen that by means of my device, without any othereffort on the part of the operator than that required to shift thecollar manually from one end of the guide to the other whenever heremoves a cylinder and replaces it with a new one, he may be certainthat the machine is always operating properly when it is operating atall and that his record cylinder will not contain blank or damaged areaswherexit should contain a clear record.

As I have heretofore explalned, my lnvention is not confined to a signalor alarm but may take any form which will in any manner prevent improperoperation, and I there fore use the term warning device in this broadsense. Furthermore, while the collar illustrated is probably the mostpractical device for performing its functions, it will of 1 course beunderstood that any other kind of farthest-advance marking device may beemployed.

&

I claim:

1. In a dictating machine, traveling mechanism having a dictatingposition and other positions, a farthest-advance marker, a warningdevice, and means for causing said device to act when it is attemptedtocarry the said mechanism in any other position than the dictatingposition past the point corresponding to the position of the marker.

2. In a dictating machine, mechanism for recording and reproducingdictation having a neutral position and working positions, a warningdevice, and means causing said device to act when the machine isoperatedwhile said mechanism is in the neutral position.

3. In a dictating machine, traveling mechanism having a dictatingposition and a reproducing position; a farthest advance marker, awarning device; and means for causing said device to act when it isattempted to advance the said mechanism, while in the dictatingposition, from a point remote from that corresponding to the posi tionof the marker.

4. In a dictating machine, a traveling dictating and reproducingmechanism having a dictating position and a second position, afarthest-advance marker, and means for causing a continuing warning tobe made when said mechanism while occupying said second position reachesthe point indicated by said farthest-advance marker.

' 5. In a dictating machine, traveling mechanism for recording andreproducing dictation having a plurality of positions, afarthest-advance marker for said mechanism, and means controlledjointlyby said marker and said mechanism for causing a warning to begiven when said mechanism approaches the point indicated by said' markerwhile occupying one of its said positions-and for permitting it to passsaid point without causing a warning while occupying another of saidpositions.

6. In a dictating machine, the combination with a part having adictating position and a reproducing position, of a warning device, afarthest-advance marker, and means governed by the position of said partand also by said marker for controlling said device.

7. In a dictating machine, mechanism for recording and reproducingdictation having a. neutral position and working positions, a warningdevice, and means associated with said mechanism for acting on saiddevice and causing it to give a warning when the machine is operatedwith said mechanism in the neutral position.

8. In a dictating machine; traveling mechanism for recording andreproducing dictation having a plurality of working positions andadapted to be moved while in any one of said working positions; andwarning mechanism including a part adapted to be moved in one direction,only, by said mechanism.

9. In a dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducingmechanism, and warning means including a part adapted to be pushed aheadof said mechanism and to remain stationary when said mechanism is movedbackward.

10. In a dictating machine, mechanism for recording and reproducingdictation having neutral and working positions, a warning device, andmeans for causing said device to act when the machine is operated Whilesaid mechanism is in the neutral position.

11. In a dictating machine, the combination with a part having a neutralposition and a reproducing position, of a warning device, afarthest-advance marker, and means controlled by said part and also bysaid marker for causing said warning device to sound a warning when themachine is operated while in the neutral position.

12. In a dictating machine, the combination with a part having a neutralposition and a dictating position, of a warning device, afarthest-advance marker, and means controlled by said part and also bysaid marker for causing said warning device to sound a warning when themachine is operated while in the neutral position.

13. In a dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducingmechanism, and warning means including a part adapted to be moved bysaid mechanism when the latter travels in one direction and remainstationary when said mechanism travels in the other direction.

14:. In a dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducingmechanism, and warning means including a part adapted to be engaged bysaid mechanism and be caused to travel therewith when said mechanismmoves in one direction and remain stationary when said mechanism ismoved in the opposite direction.

15. In a dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducingmechanism, actuating means therefor, a signal operated by said actuatingmeans, and means controlled by said mechanism for permitting the signalto be operated when it is attempted to cause said mechanism to travelahead while in a neutral position and also when it is attempted to causesuch mechanism to move in a reproducing position past the end ofpreviously dictated matter.

16. In a dictating machine, mechanism for recording and reproducingdictation hav ing a neutral and a working position, and means forsounding a continuing alarm when the machine is operated With saidmechanism in the neutral position.

17. In :1 dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducingmechanism having a dictating position and a reproducing position. adevice for indicating the farthest point to which said mechanism hasadvanced during dictation, and means controlled by said device forproducing a continuing Warning when said mechanism reaches the aforesaidpoint While in the reproducing position.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

SYDNEY C. NOTT.

